Raiders fire offensive coordinator, assistants

Raiders finished season 4-12

The Oakland Raiders began an offseason that promises plenty of change by firing offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and three other assistants on Monday after finishing their 10th straight season without a playoff berth.

Coach Dennis Allen also fired special teams coordinator Steve Hoffman, offensive line coach Frank Pollack and linebackers coach Johnny Holland as he began overhauling a staff he put together after being hired less than a year ago.

"Decisions like this are very difficult," Allen said in a statement. "I have a great deal of respect for all of these men and I appreciate their contributions to the Oakland Raiders this season."

Allen was scheduled to give his season-ending news conference later Monday.

Allen spent most of his first year with the Raiders (4-12) saying he believed in Knapp's West Coast offense and zone blocking system because he had seen it work so often at other places in the NFL.

But it did not turn out to be a good fit in Oakland. Running back Darren McFadden reverted to his early career struggles when he returned to the system the Raiders ran his first two seasons. After averaging more than 5 yards per carry in each of the past two seasons under play-caller Hue Jackson, McFadden averaged just 3.3 yards per carry this season - the lowest ever for a Raiders back with at least 150 carries in a season.

Without an effective running game the Raiders scored more than four fewer points a game than a year ago - a major part of their drop from eight wins the past two seasons to just four this year.

By getting rid of Pollack as well, it appears as though the Raiders may drop the zone blocking scheme and return to the power system that was successful the previous two years.

Allen came in talking about changing the culture of a team that had grown so used to losing in the latter years under late owner Al Davis. One of the few bright spots came in the reduction of penalties after Oakland set an NFL record with 163 in 2011 under Jackson.

Oakland's 108 penalties were the fewest for the franchise since it had 107 in 2001 in the final season under coach Jon Gruden.

General manager Reggie McKenzie brought Allen in to improve a leaky defense. Allen was Oakland's first defensive-minded coach since John Madden in the 1970s but was unable to turn that side of the ball around.

Oakland allowed 443 points and 27.7 points per game, the most for the team since its second season in 1961.